A conference organised by Christiana Payne and Fiona Stafford. Supported by TORCH, the Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities and Somerville College, Oxford.

In recent years, town planners, educationalists, environmentalists and psychologists have become increasingly aware of the beneficial effect exercised by trees and woodland on human development, happiness and mental health. There is a growing recognition of the importance of trees in urban areas, for encouraging sociability, play and physical exercise, as well as improving air quality. New practices, such as forest schools and forest bathing, have highlighted the contribution trees can make to learning and stress relief. But there is also a long history of people finding solace in the woods, and expressing their responses through art and literature. This conference aims to bring together researchers and practitioners from a wide variety of disciplinary and professional backgrounds to discuss how, and why, trees, forests and woodland can make us all feel better.​DRAFT PROGRAMME

10.00 arrival and coffee10.30 Welcome and introductionChristiana Payne, Professor of History of Art, Oxford Brookes University

10.40 “Can a dose of nature become standard prescription for a mental health problem?”Dan Bloomfield, NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow in Environment and Health, University of Exeter

11.00 “Lord Hunsdon’s Balm: Real and Magical Properties of Trees”Mark Griffiths, Editor, The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening

2.20 “Trees, Woods and Wellbeing for Under-represented Groups”Liz O’Brien, Head of Social and Economic Research Group, Forest Research

2.40 Questions

2.50 “Valuing Forests for People and Communities”Alice Mayne, Head of Recreation and Visitor Experience, Forest Enterprise England

3.10 “Trees and writers”Simon Kövesi, Professor of English Literature, Oxford Brookes University, in conversation with Fiona Stafford, Professor of English Language and Literature, University of Oxford

Visit to Sylva Wood Centre and tour with Gabriel Hemery, co-founder, Sylva Foundation, Saturday 19 May, 10am–1pmA coach will take delegates to the Sylva Wood Centre, where Gabriel Hemery will lead a walking tour of the Future Forest, Community Orchard, Forestry Yard and the Wood crafts people.

Tour of Headington Hill Hall gardens with Michael Pirie, Head Gardener, Green Templeton College, Saturday 19 May, 10–11:30amOxford Brookes University is fortunate in having amongst its buildings the Victorian mansion of Headington Hill Hall, whose mature trees in a landscaped setting form the subject of this walking tour, lasting approximately 1.5 hours. We will explore the development of the house and grounds for the Morrell brewing family, as well as the health-giving quality of the hilly site to perambulating members of Oxford University.

Visit to Ashmolean Print Room with Christiana Payne, Saturday 19 May, 10–11amThe Ashmolean has some wonderful drawings and watercolours of trees. We will look at important examples by Samuel Palmer, J. M. W. Turner, John Ruskin, Albert Moore, Edward Lear and Paul Nash.